Cream of broccoli soup with grilled vegetable panini.

This is a great way to use up broccoli stock ends.  They have great flavor, they just tend to be a little tough and not very pretty.  I have been saving up my broccoli ends and I only have to use a couple handfuls of florets to make sure the color is a nice bright green.  You could make this soup any number of ways, it's just the basic principle you can follow.  You can use any cheese or liquid that would pair nicely with broccoli to make the body of the soup.  Use what you have or what you like in the way of tastes.  This way I did it turned out great, but I have never made it the exact same way twice.  I love to have it with grilled panini! 

You will need:

Broccoli

Garlic or onions or both. 

Oil or butter

Spices of your choice - I used fresh parsley, salt and pepper and some red pepper flakes - But that made it pretty spicy so do what you think you will like.  

Flour - I used whole wheat but if you don't like the texture you are welcome to use white.  Have the same amount or a little more than the amount of oil you use. 

Liquids to thin the soup - I used milk and chicken broth and a little wine. 

Cheese - Optional, but I think it adds a special flavor.  I used fat free ricotta cheese and about 1/2 cup grated parmesan. 

Bread for you sandwiches 

Cheese for your sandwiches

Veggies that do well when heated (not lettuce lol) 

Oil, butter, or a oil pan spray

This type of broccoli is perfect for this soup, nice long stocks. You can use up the whole thing so it won't go to waste!. 

Chop up everything, I actually saved most of the florets for later and the majority of this is just the stocks. 

Put the broccoli in a steamer and start the soupy part of your soup!

I gathered up all my ingredients and put them by the stove, as the soup will thicken quickly and I don't want to let it burn. Ironic though, I ended up burning my garlic in the oil kissing my husband lol. 

Heat up your oil - I used 1/4 cup of olive oil. 

If you are using garlic, onions, or dried spices add them to your  oil. 

Wait until softened and fragrant.  You may end up adding a bit of broth to keep it from sticking. 

Add flour until it makes a paste.  You should have your pan turned down to about medium or medium-high heat. 

Add chicken broth or other liquid to make a thick liquid - I used two cans of Chicken broth. 

Wait until mixture thickens and then add some milk a little at a time until you have the desired amount and thickness.   Adding the cheese and the broccoli will thicken it considerably so keep that in mind. 

This is entirely optional and not required at all, but you could add about 1/2- 1 cup of fat free ricotta cheese. 

Stir in until incorporated.  

Add cheese or other ingredients you want. 

You soup base is completed. 

When the broccoli is bright green remove from steamer (I over did my just a little)

Rinse under some cold water and place in food processor or  blender/ 

Add your soup base and puree until desired consistency. Taste and season until it's what you would like.  If it tastes really bland, start by just adding a little big of salt, mixing and tasting.  Repeat a couple of time and you would be surprised what a little salt can do to bring out your already added flavors.  If you really want to watch salt content strictly, then explore different spices and herbs to get a flavorful soup.  

Now for our Sandwiches.  Chop up the veggies you want that will heat well.  I used Spinach, red peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, and red onion. 

Since this is such a filled sandwich I used cheese on both sides, I cut it super thin with a cheese slicer so it wasn't too cheesy.  

added my onions, I made sure since they were small pieces they were right up against the cheese so they won't fall off when I am eating them. 

peppers

Spinach - I put this in the middle so it didn't get too wilted, although it tastes great wilted so I wasn't too worried. 

Summer squash and tomatoes.  I then just spray my grill with some olive oil and it is enough to make the bread nice and crispy without covering the whole thing in butter. 

Grilled until cheese is all melty and bread is browned. 

Yummy yummy soup and sandwiches.